BMW service. So far, so bad.

radiantm3 · 02-25-2009, 02:20 PM

Ok so a bit premature to judge service completely, but I find it odd that I am unable to get a bmw loaner when my car goes in for service. The first time I brought my car in for service they had no BMW loaners so they pushed me over to enterprise (it was part of the dealership) and gave me an older chevy pickup truck. Yes, that's all they had. This was in Mountain View, CA.

Had my car towed last night to Steven's Creek BMW (San Jose) because a big electrical malfunction (6 month old car). I bring my wife there this morning to get a loaner so she can get to work and I'm relieved to see at least 10 loan cars out in the parking lot. So I talk to the service advisor and he tells me the loaners are for people with appointments and that if they have any left in the afternoon, he will call me back.

Is this to be expected? Before BMW I owned an IS300 and never had an issue getting a loaner. It seems like BMWs are needing service so often that they never have extra cars to loan out. Or maybe it's because I look young and only drive a 3? If I came in a suit and I brought in a 750i, think they would have given me one? Sorry for the rant. This is just frustrating.

DELTA BMW · 02-25-2009, 02:23 PM

AMEN! I feel the same way. I am in a crap Toyota Yaris that smells like smoke.

When I owned a Lexus they would give me whatever model I wanted as a loner.

I agree 100% man. I am sorry we are all used to caviar and then get this.

BTW, I am young and drive a 3 but a good friend of mine drives a 7 series and is older and he gets a Camry at the loner car place while I get a yaris

kyleb350 · 02-25-2009, 02:23 PM

With the dealerships I've been to, not only do you have to have an appointment, you have to have it in the morning to get a loaner. The couple times I brought my car in around noon, they had nothing.

Year's_End · 02-25-2009, 02:25 PM

Depending upon the dealership, you need to schedule well in advance, and let them know you would like a loaner car. That's how it is with my dealership. I still can't drive one (I'm not 21 yet), but I asked out of curiosity.

radiantm3 · 02-25-2009, 02:31 PM

Although it's still a pain, it's good to know that it's not just me.

Dealerships tend to treat me like crap because I don't dress like I have money (and I look young for my age). When I shop for cars I always have to go find a salesman to help me.

DELTA BMW · 02-25-2009, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by radiantm3

Although it's still a pain, it's good to know that it's not just me.

Dealerships tend to treat me like crap because I don't dress like I have money (and I look young for my age). When I shop for cars I always have to go find a salesman to help me.

Yup me too.

Its pretty funny really.

ben14142001 · 02-25-2009, 02:58 PM

Kyle,
What dealership do you go to? I'm from the area and bought my car at Bill Jacobs and they gave me a loaner last time I was there and it was afternoonish. I've only had one unexpected pit stop and it was in Omaha, where I'm on business for a bit and my CEL popped on. I drove right over to the local dealership, Markel BMW I believe, with no appointment at about 4:30 PM and they took me in and gave me a brand new 328 XI loaner. They were extremely nice as well, and I'm a young guy too, 23, and have definitely felt what you guys have felt before, as I wasn't even taken seriously by the sales rep when I first tried to buy my 135 and promptly changed dealerships.

-Ben

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyleb350

With the dealerships I've been to, not only do you have to have an appointment, you have to have it in the morning to get a loaner. The couple times I brought my car in around noon, they had nothing.

Brandon26pdx · 02-25-2009, 04:02 PM

It's typical to need an appointment well in advance so they can reserve a loaner for you. It's not because you're young or look like they can take advantage of you.

nmulax · 02-25-2009, 04:10 PM

It really just varies from dealer to dealer.

In Michigan, I went to Erhard BMW and their service is amazing. I could call on Thursday and they'd squeeze me in for service on Saturday. They only had BMW loaner cars, and I could often request something different (5er, X3).

When I moved to AZ, I first went to BMW North Scottsdale, figuring it's in the nicest area so it'd be the best dealer. Not so much, shitty service, and I was given a VW Jetta loaner car.

I now go to Chapman BMW Scottsdale. The service is good - not at Erhard's level, but better then N. Scottsdale. They can usually get me in within a week, and they always have a BMW loaner for me.

E90SLAM · 02-25-2009, 04:21 PM

Plus most dealerships only provide loaner cars to customers who purchase vehicles from the same dealership....but its all up to SA....

1013mm · 02-25-2009, 04:39 PM

so i took my mom with me to the service one time and they were talking to her the whole time when it was MY car that needed to be serviced..... same when I was trying to take a look at the 1.... they talked to my dad the whole time and they even let him do the test driving when I was the one getting the car..... BS (im 21 also...)

aarong_m3 · 02-25-2009, 05:04 PM

It all depends. Some BMW dealerships have lots of BMW loaners and some have few. Bay Area has alot of BMW owners and they only want to service it at BMW. Sometimes the best time to bring your car in to get a BMW loaner are Wed and Thurs. The loaners i/wife have received are the following: Saturn Aura, Hyundai sedan, Mini cooper(2x), Mitsubishi Galant, BMW 325xi wagon, 325ci, 328i, 325i.

Jared@ACGsandiego · 02-25-2009, 05:26 PM

i was lucky to get a camry during my service. but still it was a camry. my friend with a g35 took his car for service and he received a 4dr g35 loaner car. how nice!

aarong_m3 · 02-25-2009, 06:18 PM

Sorry to hear about your exp at Mt View. I've been there. I will never go back there anymore...they gave me a Hyundai sedan and it stank.

Most BMW dealerships have limited amount of BMW loaners and every owner expects to get a BMW loaner. When they are all loaned out, you get enterprise. It is true that in the afternoon you can call to see if they have a BMW loaner. Sorry, It's expected. But If you have a friend that's a SA then your set(most of the time).

If you owned a Lexus/Infiniti before and got Lexus/Infiniti loaner...that's great. Sorry to tell you BMW is not Lexus or Infiniti.

Hope you get your car back soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by radiantm3

Ok so a bit premature to judge service completely, but I find it odd that I am unable to get a bmw loaner when my car goes in for service. The first time I brought my car in for service they had no BMW loaners so they pushed me over to enterprise (it was part of the dealership) and gave me an older chevy pickup truck. Yes, that's all they had. This was in Mountain View, CA.

Had my car towed last night to Steven's Creek BMW (San Jose) because a big electrical malfunction (6 month old car). I bring my wife there this morning to get a loaner so she can get to work and I'm relieved to see at least 10 loan cars out in the parking lot. So I talk to the service advisor and he tells me the loaners are for people with appointments and that if they have any left in the afternoon, he will call me back.

Is this to be expected? Before BMW I owned an IS300 and never had an issue getting a loaner. It seems like BMWs are needing service so often that they never have extra cars to loan out. Or maybe it's because I look young and only drive a 3? If I came in a suit and I brought in a 750i, think they would have given me one? Sorry for the rant. This is just frustrating.

warmtoes · 02-25-2009, 06:40 PM

I had the same thing back to back when I had to bring my vert in because a rear defrost line was broken on my rear windshield. One appointment to diagnose the problem and one appointment to replace the entire top once it came in.

The first time I had a crap Suzuki SX4 and the second time a crap Volkswagen Jetta City.

I did find out that I could book ahead and ask specifically for a BMW loaner but you do have to book far out.

silv135vert · 02-25-2009, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aarong_m3

Sorry to hear about your exp at Mt View. I've been there. I will never go back there anymore...they gave me a Hyundai sedan and it stank.

Most BMW dealerships have limited amount of BMW loaners and every owner expects to get a BMW loaner. When they are all loaned out, you get enterprise. It is true that in the afternoon you can call to see if they have a BMW loaner. Sorry, It's expected. But If you have a friend that's a SA then your set(most of the time).

If you owned a Lexus/Infiniti before and got Lexus/Infiniti loaner...that's great. Sorry to tell you BMW is not Lexus or Infiniti.

Hope you get your car back soon.

I bought my car from BMW Mt. View and I won't go back. I was not and am still not impressed with the level of service there. Considering how much money we spend on the cars, one would think that the service would be good.

dlbrooks18 · 02-25-2009, 06:44 PM

Sorry to hear about this, but I agree with others and service varies from dealership to dealership. The salesman that sold me my car always takes care of me, and I would refuse to drive any loaner that is not a newer model BMW

02-25-2009, 02:20 PM	#1
radiantm3 Apex Everything! 1007 Rep 4,378 Posts Drives: 2007 Honda S2000, 2017 GT350 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Cedar Park, TX iTrader: (6) Garage List 2011 E92 M3 [9.35] 2014 BMW i3 [10.00]	BMW service. So far, so bad. Ok so a bit premature to judge service completely, but I find it odd that I am unable to get a bmw loaner when my car goes in for service. The first time I brought my car in for service they had no BMW loaners so they pushed me over to enterprise (it was part of the dealership) and gave me an older chevy pickup truck. Yes, that's all they had. This was in Mountain View, CA. Had my car towed last night to Steven's Creek BMW (San Jose) because a big electrical malfunction (6 month old car). I bring my wife there this morning to get a loaner so she can get to work and I'm relieved to see at least 10 loan cars out in the parking lot. So I talk to the service advisor and he tells me the loaners are for people with appointments and that if they have any left in the afternoon, he will call me back. Is this to be expected? Before BMW I owned an IS300 and never had an issue getting a loaner. It seems like BMWs are needing service so often that they never have extra cars to loan out. Or maybe it's because I look young and only drive a 3? If I came in a suit and I brought in a 750i, think they would have given me one? Sorry for the rant. This is just frustrating. __________________ 2011 E92 M3(Sold). 2007 Honda S2000 (Track Car). 2016 Cayman GT4 (Sold). 2017 Shelby GT350 (AKA Crowd Killer). My pet project: https://stickershift.com
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02-25-2009, 02:23 PM	#2
DELTA BMW Banned 24 Rep 511 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Pluto iTrader: (0)	AMEN! I feel the same way. I am in a crap Toyota Yaris that smells like smoke. When I owned a Lexus they would give me whatever model I wanted as a loner. I agree 100% man. I am sorry we are all used to caviar and then get this. BTW, I am young and drive a 3 but a good friend of mine drives a 7 series and is older and he gets a Camry at the loner car place while I get a yaris
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02-25-2009, 02:23 PM	#3
kyleb350 Brigadier General 429 Rep 4,709 Posts Drives: '21 X3MC Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Milwaukee iTrader: (6)	With the dealerships I've been to, not only do you have to have an appointment, you have to have it in the morning to get a loaner. The couple times I brought my car in around noon, they had nothing.
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02-25-2009, 02:25 PM	#4
Year's_End Lieutenant General 1245 Rep 12,446 Posts Drives: 2020 Shelby GT350 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: FL iTrader: (0)	Depending upon the dealership, you need to schedule well in advance, and let them know you would like a loaner car. That's how it is with my dealership. I still can't drive one (I'm not 21 yet), but I asked out of curiosity. __________________ Past: '08 E92 335i\|ZPP\|ZSP\|6AT Past: '15 Mustang GT\|401A\|PP\|6MT Current: '20 Shelby GT350\|6MT
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02-25-2009, 02:31 PM	#5
radiantm3 Apex Everything! 1007 Rep 4,378 Posts Drives: 2007 Honda S2000, 2017 GT350 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Cedar Park, TX iTrader: (6) Garage List 2011 E92 M3 [9.35] 2014 BMW i3 [10.00]	Although it's still a pain, it's good to know that it's not just me. Dealerships tend to treat me like crap because I don't dress like I have money (and I look young for my age). When I shop for cars I always have to go find a salesman to help me. __________________ 2011 E92 M3(Sold). 2007 Honda S2000 (Track Car). 2016 Cayman GT4 (Sold). 2017 Shelby GT350 (AKA Crowd Killer). My pet project: https://stickershift.com
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02-25-2009, 04:02 PM	#8
Brandon26pdx Lieutenant Colonel 29 Rep 1,938 Posts Drives: 2011 135i Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Portland, OR iTrader: (1)	It's typical to need an appointment well in advance so they can reserve a loaner for you. It's not because you're young or look like they can take advantage of you.
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02-25-2009, 04:10 PM	#9
nmulax Brigadier General 394 Rep 4,320 Posts Drives: '07 Z4 M Coupe Join Date: May 2006 Location: Metro-Detroit iTrader: (5) Garage List 2007 Z4M Coupé [7.66]	It really just varies from dealer to dealer. In Michigan, I went to Erhard BMW and their service is amazing. I could call on Thursday and they'd squeeze me in for service on Saturday. They only had BMW loaner cars, and I could often request something different (5er, X3). When I moved to AZ, I first went to BMW North Scottsdale, figuring it's in the nicest area so it'd be the best dealer. Not so much, shitty service, and I was given a VW Jetta loaner car. I now go to Chapman BMW Scottsdale. The service is good - not at Erhard's level, but better then N. Scottsdale. They can usually get me in within a week, and they always have a BMW loaner for me. __________________
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02-25-2009, 04:21 PM	#10
E90SLAM Supreme Allied Commander 2031 Rep 61,781 Posts Drives: A BBS WHORE Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: . iTrader: (6) Garage List 2022 BMW X3 sDrive30i [0.00]	Plus most dealerships only provide loaner cars to customers who purchase vehicles from the same dealership....but its all up to SA.... __________________
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02-25-2009, 04:39 PM	#11
1013mm aka 1013MM 1331 Rep 9,545 Posts Drives: pokingly flush Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Los Angeles / HK iTrader: (7) Garage List 2009 135i [8.26]	so i took my mom with me to the service one time and they were talking to her the whole time when it was MY car that needed to be serviced..... same when I was trying to take a look at the 1.... they talked to my dad the whole time and they even let him do the test driving when I was the one getting the car..... BS (im 21 also...) __________________ -John Project YOSHI Sale Thread
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02-25-2009, 05:04 PM	#12
aarong_m3 First Lieutenant 22 Rep 338 Posts Drives: 2006 BMW M5 / 1974 BMW 2002 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Union City, CA - Norcal iTrader: (3)	It all depends. Some BMW dealerships have lots of BMW loaners and some have few. Bay Area has alot of BMW owners and they only want to service it at BMW. Sometimes the best time to bring your car in to get a BMW loaner are Wed and Thurs. The loaners i/wife have received are the following: Saturn Aura, Hyundai sedan, Mini cooper(2x), Mitsubishi Galant, BMW 325xi wagon, 325ci, 328i, 325i. __________________ 2006 BMW M5 7spd SMG/SIlverstone : 2008 BMW 135i SGM/JB2/BMS(SOLD 1/2010) : 1974 BMW 2oo2(5spd w/ 3.91LSD) : 2002 BMW M3(AW/6spd) Sold 8/07 : 2002 BMW 325i(SGM) Sold 12/07 : 1993 BMW 325i Sold 8/04
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02-25-2009, 05:26 PM	#13
Jared@ACGsandiego Private First Class 7 Rep 180 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: San Diego iTrader: (1)	i was lucky to get a camry during my service. but still it was a camry. my friend with a g35 took his car for service and he received a 4dr g35 loaner car. how nice!
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02-25-2009, 06:40 PM	#15
warmtoes Lieutenant Colonel 31 Rep 1,917 Posts Drives: EBII 435i xDrive Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Vancouver iTrader: (1)	I had the same thing back to back when I had to bring my vert in because a rear defrost line was broken on my rear windshield. One appointment to diagnose the problem and one appointment to replace the entire top once it came in. The first time I had a crap Suzuki SX4 and the second time a crap Volkswagen Jetta City. I did find out that I could book ahead and ask specifically for a BMW loaner but you do have to book far out. __________________ *2014 EBII 435i xDrive M-sport* Gone: 2011 TiAg F25 X3 xDrive35i M-sport Gone: 2008 TiAg w/Coral Red E88 135i Cab M-sport
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02-25-2009, 06:44 PM	#17
dlbrooks18 Brigadier General 164 Rep 3,735 Posts Drives: e90 335i Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (2)	Sorry to hear about this, but I agree with others and service varies from dealership to dealership. The salesman that sold me my car always takes care of me, and I would refuse to drive any loaner that is not a newer model BMW
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